The Uninvited
by Jamjumpers
Summary: Bhunivelze created a world prepopulated with history and connections. However, he had not planned for all souls to be recreated. Hope and Lightning were never meant to make it to the new world.
1. Chapter 1

**SERAH**

Serah woke with a start and with an urgent twist of her body, rolled over and reached to the small digital clock on the bedside table. She turned it's illuminated face to hers and exclaimed, "My alarm didn't go off! I'm late! Oh no, oh no, oh no!"

Snow stirred and groaned in the bed next to her, half awakened by the sound. She frantically kicked off the bed covers and scrambled around their dark bedroom. Where did she leave her pants? What shirt should she wear today? She grabbed her clothes into a bundle and hastily ran into the bathroom for a quick shower. She washed herself just enough to pass as clean, jumped out and quickly dried herself with her towel before struggling to pull her clothes onto her still wet body.

"Oh come on!" she begged. Finally dressed, she grabbed her bag, a banana from the fruit bowl for breakfast and rushed out the door.

She rounded the corner of the street at a run and was soon able to make out the bus stop. There were people still waiting there, which meant the bus had not come yet. Serah let out relieved sigh and slowed her pace to a quick walk. Her breathing was heavy but she soon caught her breath. She peeled and ate her banana as she closed the distance and carefully stowed the peel in her bag as the bus pulled up with perfect timing. She dug around for her metrocard, tapped on, took a seat and slumped back in the chair with relief. She scanned the people on the bus around her and wondered if they could tell just how close she had come to missing this bus and how she had heroically managed to have a shower, get dressed and be out the door in ten minutes. She could hardly believe she pulled it off and smiled at her victory; this will make a great story to tell Snow later.

She caught a glimpse of herself in the window next to her and, as far as practical, tried to fix her appearance. She prided herself on looking put together, with her rose coloured hair neatly dressed and at least some amount of make-up. Today she had bed hair and circles under her eyes. She finger combed her hair as well as she could before securing it into a messy bun with some spare bobby pins and a hair tie she found in her bag. She had stayed up late pouring over bridal magazines and websites planning her and Snow's upcoming wedding. She knew she should have gone to bed sooner but there was so much to do and, as much as she loved him, Snow was no help at all. It was during these times that she missed her sister the most. If Lightning was around she would be there to help her. She would have been the maid of honour and would have helped pick out the dress, the bridesmaid dresses, the centrepieces, judge the food when picking venues, everything. And she would be happy for her, wouldn't she?

Since they started dating Lightning never hid her dislike for Snow, but when Serah woke from her coma their relationship was a lot better. The shared grief had brought them together and Lightning had given them her blessing. She was so happy to have them on good terms, but that joy was short lived.; not long after (just a number of weeks) Lightning was deployed on a mission and didn't make it back. Serah tried to remember how long and why she had been in a coma but couldn't recall. This all happened in the last year and yet the experience felt so distant on reflection. It was as though she was viewing the past of another person, and the recognition of this thought niggled in the back of her mind. It beckoned her as though she had forgotten something important, but as she focused on the thought it quickly faded and she couldn't get it to materialise. What was it? Before she could think much more about it she saw her stop approaching and pressed the buzzer. She stood and walked to the door, tapped off her card and got off the bus. She hung back and watched the bus pull away from her before heading on, as though by staying she might remember something, but nothing came to her. Her brows furrowed but she eventually shrugged off her unease; certainly if it was that important it would come to her later.

The corridors were starting to fill with students and teachers and Serah greeted her colleagues as she worked her way to her office to deposit her bag and organise her computer for homeroom. Once in the classroom she called out the roll (all here) and read out the few announcements before sitting down in her chair as the students chattered amongst themselves. Serah's laptop sat propped open on the desk and threw a dull glow over her face. She stared blankly back into it with her cheek resting heavily in her palm. She was distracted. The thought from earlier was so close she could feel she almost had it, but like before the more she willed it the further it seemed to be from her grasp.

"What's up with Ms. Farron?"

"Maybe she has a hangover?"

"Hitting it hard on a Tuesday night? Go Ms."

"Maybe she's still drunk?"

The students tried, and failed, to stifle their laugher but Serah paid them no mind. Technically she heard them, but she didn't register their words. That elusive thought was all she could think about. It was like a skittish fish that surfaces for food but shys and darts away when you try to touch it. And the water isn't clear, it's murky. You know it's a fish because what else could it be? But the form is obscured and it's merely a flash of colour and an outline of a shape. What was it? Her reverie was suddenly disrupted by the bell and the rest of the day was such a blur of work and movement that she found no time to think about it further; as easily as it had consumer her she completely forgot that she ever thought about it at all.

"Whoa! What happened to you?" Snow teased as Serah came into the lounge room that afternoon. She stuck her tongue out and dumped her bag on the coffee table,"Hey, that doesn't go there, c'mon."

"Oh, I'll put it away later. Snow! You will not believe the morning I had!" Serah laughed and she leaned back into the couch next to her fiance, "My alarm didn't go off-"

"I know, I was awake" Snow interjected with a grin.

"-and I managed to get showered, dressed and out the door in 10 minutes. I was still so wet after the shower I think I wasted more time trying to just pull my pants on than if I just took the time to dry myself properly. But I made my bus!"

Snow smiled and placed a kiss on her forehead. Serah looked up into his face and examined him in such detail that she seemed to be making a mental record of his features. The truth was she couldn't believe how lucky she is to be loved so much; to know that he never wavered, even when she was in a coma and there was no knowing when, or if, she would wake. It was as she formed the mental image of him and Lightning in vigil by her bedside that she felt it again. It was no more violent than a small ripple but she felt its return with the force of a tsunami. She peeled away from Snow and sat bolt upright, her brows furrowed deep in thought.

Snow was shocked at the sudden recoil and asked, "What is it?"

"I don't know", Serah replied, "I…" she paused and looked Snow in the eye.

"Hey now Serah, you're scaring me."

For a long while Serah stared off into the distance before she continued.

"Snow, what do you remember about Lightning?"

Snow was taken aback by the question, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what do you remember about her? I feel like, I dunno, something's off. I was on the bus on the way to work and thinking about how nice it would be if she were around to help with the wedding, and I was thinking about my coma, and something felt wrong, like I was forgetting something. Something really important. Then I was thinking about her again just now and I felt it again. I feel like I almost remember and then I don't. Please don't look at me like I'm crazy."

Snow leaned forward and placed a reassuring arm around Serah's shoulder.

"Hey now, of course I don't think you're crazy. Maybe the stress of your new job is getting to you. It's coming up close to a year since Lightning died and maybe that's what's getting you down."

"Maybe," Serah rested backwards into the comfort of Snow's embrace and continued, "but humour me. What do you remember about her?"

Snow exhaled and smiled, "Man… the first day we met in the hospital after you were in your coma she was so angry. She was grieving, you know, and was going through the anger stage. I was in denial about the whole situation and it must have pissed her off. We both visited you daily, and often ran into each other when we'd arrive at the same time of day.

As tough as nails as your sister liked to seem, she showed a love for you that was moving. She never gave up on you, and that you would wake. Any advice from doctors to let you go was met with her steely glare and they eventually gave up the suggestion. I don't blame them, I wouldn't want to face off with her over you."

Snow let out a chuckle and Sarah hugged his arm around herself and they slumped back into the couch together.

"Thank you, Snow."

"Do you feel better now?"

"Yeah, I do. Thanks."

* * *

Author comments: Hello there. :) I will be adding chapters to this one progressively. Please let me know what you think of it as I add more. I'm aiming to keep this as close to known canon as possible, so let me know if I misremember something (it's been a while since I played these games).


	2. Chapter 2

**HOPE**

It was like waking from a strange dream, that's how he recalled it. The first sound was a reassuring gurgling of nearby water, later attributed to a fountain in the University garden he found himself in. He woke on a park bench, as though he had fallen asleep after sitting there for too long, but it didn't feel like waking from any regular sleep. He was disoriented and he felt a dull ache in his limbs that he couldn't quite place. As his vision cleared he looked around and tried to make sense of his surroundings. Young adults, students judging by their appearance, passed by his perch on the way to morning classes. Some ignored him, while others threw him odd looks. He reasoned he must have looked like a homeless sleeper, a 14 year old street urchin, who could blame them?

He stood up from the bench and looked around, and as he walked forward he noticed a difference in his stride. His heart raced and he darted toward the nearby building and pulled himself up in the window. His silver hair was a mess above his piercing green eyes. He ran his fingers over his chin, feeling the day old stubble brush roughly against their tips. He could hardly believe his eyes: he was 27 again. A joyous laugh escaped him, garnering more strange looks from those milling past. He spun around and began searching the remainder of the garden near his bench.

"Lightning!" He called, but with no reply, "Lightning!" He tried again.

"Light, where are you?! You won't believe it!" Nothing.

His brow furrowed. They had passed over together, he knew they had. There was no reason for her not to be nearby. Then again, no-one else was either. He weaved through the campus and saw no sign of Lightning or anyone else: not Serah, Snow, Vanille, Fang, Sazh or even his parents. He was alone. Somehow when they came over they must have been split up, which meant there was no reason to worry. He tried to calm himself with this thought. It wasn't that they weren't here at all, it was just that they were not in this specific location. Right now Lightning and the others must be waking up just as confused, and maybe as alone, as he was. And if they were out there, he could find them.

He made it sound so easy is his head, but where would he even start? Hope stopped searching is way through the campus and looked around. The campus was laid out with a scattering of old stone buildings amongst newer modern designs and beautifully manicured gardens. The students and faculty he had dismissed before walked into and out of buildings as though they were merely going through the motions; a regular day in their lives. Had they arrived earlier than him? Was there a delay in his migration? He tried to make out his location but so far was only able to find the University coat of arms embossed on buildings numbers. Hope looked closer and read the phrase printed in the scrolls at its base: "Ad altiora tendo". It was a language he hadn't seen before. Where the hell was he?

Hope worked his way to the campus centre and found a cafe. He patted down the pockets of his shirt and pants and felt something in the latter. He fished out a plain looking wallet and what looked like a phone. His eyes lit up upon seeing the phone and he chastised himself for not checking his pockets sooner. He opened the wallet and found a healthy number of credit notes, but no cards, including ID. He approached the counter, ordered a latte and found a seat outside where he had a good view of people as they passed by. He examined the phone in his hands. It was different to what he was used to in the old world, but he figured he could work it out. He found the power button on the side and was met with the lock screen. Following the on screen instructions he swiped and was presented with a screen full of tiled icons. His examination of the screen was interrupted as he noticed someone approach his table.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" She asked.

"Not at all, go ahead." He said without looking up.

"You know," she said as she sat down opposite, "You look really familiar, but I can't pick it."

Hope looked up to see if there was mutual recognition and was shocked when he saw the familiar blue eyes and short blonde hair of his old assistant.

"I'm Alyssa, by the way" she extended her hand and Hope shook it loosley, still in shock. He regained his composure and smiled back as they released hands.

"I'm Hope. You know, you do look really familiar."

"Hope? Hmm, Hope what?"

"Estheim."

"That name is definitely familiar." Alyssa said, and leaned back in thought, "I must have seen you around campus before, or maybe we met at a conference?"

It was clear she didn't recognise him, despite their shared history in the old world. Hope picked up on the clues in her response that answered the question he had wondered earlier, or at least partially. Everyone around him was at ease with their surroundings like they had been here for some time. It was still unclear to him exactly how long, and why if Alyssa recognised his face and name she didn't actively remember him. He figured the best course of action was to play along and match Alyssa's confusion.

"Maybe, I'm not sure either to be honest." He replied.

"Isn't that funny? So what do you do? Do you work here?"

"Oh no, I was just in the area and thought I'd take a look around. I've actually just moved here and to be honest, I'm looking for some local work."

Alyssa cocked an eyebrow, "Oh really? What field are you in?"

Hope's heart raced. He had quickly realised he needed resources if he was going to find his friends and family, and that would start with access to an income. The only problem was that he wasn't certain what the status of the scientific community was in this new world; and if he answered incorrectly he might either sound like he had no experience or a lunatic. The phone he was playing with before Alyssa arrived confirmed there were differences, and Hope resolved that sticking to the fundamentals, just vague enough, might be enough to keep the conversation going.

"I started out in applied physics and chemistry, but more recently I've been involved in engineering work."

"I'm glad you saw the light." Alyssa winked, "I work in the electrical engineering department myself. What kind of engineering work have you been involved in?"

Hope thought of New Cocoon and the extensive work that he and his team developed trying to build a behemoth structure that could take off from Gran Pulse. It was certainly a feat of engineering and as Director, Hope found himself overseeing teams of many specialties. At its core, the challenge laid in what to build it out of and how to get it off the ground.

"Mostly materials science and engineering. There is a lot of crossover with applied physics and chemistry so the transition was quite natural. Specifically, optimising lightweight alloys for aerospace applications and energy storage." Hope continued to talk in more detail about the engineering challenges, without going into detail about the reason for the project.

"Oh, that's so interesting." Alyssa remarked, "You know, I sometimes work with the aerospace and materials guys myself. We have a small department of materials engineering here, and wouldn't you believe it but one of the lecturers recently resigned. I know we've only been chatting for a short while, but I like you Hope, and based on what you've been telling me your work is impressive. So tell you what? I know the department head and could easily introduce you if you like."

Hope was amazed at how easy an offer effectively fell into his lap. Compared to his position as Director at the Academy, a position as lecturer was a considerable step down, but one commiserate with his age and perceived level of experience. He wasn't about to argue, and besides, he worked his way up from the bottom before, he could do it again.

"If it isn't too much trouble, that would be great. Thank you." Hope replied.

"Don't sweat it. There's no guarantee, mind you, I'm just introducing you. Roger, that's his name, will still interview you as much as the other candidates."

"Oh no, of course not. I'd expect nothing less."

Alyssa checked her watch, "I have a meeting with him in 10. Once you've finished your coffee we can head over and I'll introduce you. Do you mind having to wait around an hour until our meeting is finished?"

Hope finished the last couple mouthfuls of his coffee and stood up from the table, pocketing his phone. "No, that's fine. I have a completely open schedule today."

"Great!" Alyssa swung her bag over her shoulder and beckoned Hope to follow her, "The engineering precinct is over this way."

After a brief introduction to Roger, Hope found himself milling around in a long hallway in one of the engineering faculty buildings. He noticed some research posters on a nearby wall and walked over to examine them. They covered a range of topics, including efforts to increase the efficiency of solar cells, new alloying methods, biomaterials, electrochemistry and corrosion. For the most part he was at least somewhat familiar with the topics on the wall, and he was able to absorb enough knowledge in the space of Alyssa's meeting to feel more at ease about the impending interview with Roger. He was also finally able to see the name of the University: Paterson University. Named after someone, no doubt.

He pulled his phone from his pocket and again browsed over the icons on the home screen. His thumb wavered over "Contacts" and, seeing he still had some time, pressed it. He was immediately disappointed. Apart from preloaded numbers for customer support and voicemail, there were no entries. That would have been too easy, he figured, of course. He exited and found his way to an internet browser and began to read up on the history of the University. He navigated to their page, located Roger's profile and found a list of his publications. Out of curiosity he opened a second tab and searched his own name, but it came back with no results that were him; he would have to change that.

"There you are!" Hope was disturbed from his phone as Alyssa walked towards him.

"Oh, I saw these posters and my curiosity got the best of me." He replied.

"No problem, you didn't wander too far. Roger is waiting back in the meeting room. Here," she gave him a copy of her business card. "If you're new to the area you're going to need some friends and I can show you all the best places to go. Hopefully I'll see around here more often." Alyssa smiled and coquettishly waved goodbye as she made her way out of the building. Hope watched her leave and placed the card in his pocket before heading into the meeting room to see Roger.

"Sit where ever," Roger said and motioned his hand at the chairs around the table opposite. Hope selected one directly opposite and sat down.

"Alyssa gave me a rundown on your conversation at the cafe, if what she said is accurate you have quite an impressive resume. Speaking of, I'll need you to send through a copy of your actual resume." Hope nodded. Roger looked briefly at some notes in a folder and continued,

"Now, I'm not sure if Alyssa mentioned much about the position. We urgently need a lecturer to take classes in electromaterials and polymers. This is looking at close to 25 hours of lecturing a week, plus time to prepare and assess coursework. We also expect all our staff to be actively involved in research and be current with industry and academic trends in their field. You're replacing someone who had a new PhD candidate about to start, and my expectation is that you will be able to supervise their work. Now, I'm just going to go over some more general questions before we go into more detail about your specific experience."

The interview was long and lively. The initial questions quizzed Hope about his past experience in teaching, which Hope had to admit he had no formal experience. Lecturer's weren't expected to have teaching qualifications, so Hope's admission that he had really only acted as mentor and project supervisor weren't a deal closer. Moving on to his experience Hope began to shine. He and Roger had lively back and forth about their projects, challenges and solutions. They spoke as equals and Roger was clearly impressed.

"I have to say Dr Estheim, I'm surprised you're interested in a position as Lecturer. It sounds like you have significantly more experience than is required for this role."

"Don't get me wrong," Hope began, "in my previous position I had a lot of responsibility, but that was in private industry. As I mentioned, a lot of my work was military based and therefore highly sensitive. All my publications in this area aren't publicly available. Furthermore, as we've established, I don't have the experience of teaching that would be expected in higher roles. I feel this position is commiserate with my experience in a teaching and research institution, and I'm certainly not one to let my ego get in the way of an opportunity to work at such a prestigious university."

Roger smiled, "Good. I feel like you would make a strong addition to our team. Your work in industry is particularly interesting. We want to bring in more industry involvement in our research, do you think you could do that?"

"Definitely, I have a lot of experience getting industry involvement and grants off the ground."

"Good. Well," Roger passed Hope his business card across the table, "please send your resume to my email there. Once received I expect to provide you a response within the week."

The two men stood and shook hands.

"Thank you for seeing me." Hope said as they both started for the door.

"It was good to meet you Dr Estheim."

The University campus was located in the inner city, just outside the CBD. He had easy access to shopping, restaurants and accommodation; not that he could afford to spend much money on any of them, at least not until he had employment. On that score Hope worked his way to a public library and spent the afternoon putting together his resume on one of the publicly accessible computers. Fabricating his history made him uneasy, but he had no option; there was definitely no trace he should exist in this world. He even had to come up with a fake birth year to match his outward 27 years of age. He listed character references "on request" and figured he would cross that bridge if or when it came to it. Satisfied, Hope created an email account and sent the resume to Roger.

As he was putting together the resume it became apparent that he would need to get passable fake ID. Using the anonymity of the public computer he began to make queries online as covertly as possible, jotting down websites and contact details on the notepad app in his phone. Once completed he cleared his search history and left the library, making his way to the nearest quiet alleyway to make his phone call.

Hope's heart raced as the dial tone rang, checking for people that may overhear his conversation.

"What do you want?"

"Documents: birth certificate, utility bill and an academic transcript." Hope said.

"Man, I think you've got the wrong number."

"Words can be like X-rays if you use them properly - they'll go through anything. You read and you're pierced"

There was a pause on the other end.

"Alright. It'll be a thousand credits. I'll text you the address. Be there by 5." They hung up.

Hope pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at the screen, waiting for the message. It arrived a minute later and Hope immediately looked up the location and directions. He would be cutting it close, but he could make it.

The sun was beginning to dip as he arrived at the address. He cautiously approached the door and, seeing no door bell, knocked. There was quiet and the muffled movement inside. Hope thought to knock again but the door was suddenly jerked open.

"Inside, now."

Hope wasn't sure what he expected before arriving, maybe a scalour with a rough looking criminal. Instead he was in a middle class home being hurried in to a home office by a mousey middle aged man. The man sat down in front of a computer on a desk and spin on his chair to face Hope.

"I'll need half upfront, the other half on completion. It will take three days. Be back here at 5 in three days, you understand?"

Hope nodded and pulled out his wallet. He leafed through the notes and handed out 500 credits. The man snatched the money and continued, "Good. Pull up a chair."

Hope spent the next half hour working through the content of the forms, including providing details about his parents and where he was born. They reviewed rental houses from interstate for a fake address of his last utility bill and entered details from the course list of the international University Hope had found earlier for his resume. After the man was satisfied with the information he led Hope promptly from the premises.

Hope headed back into the city and found a cheap hostel for only 20 credits a night. He found himself bunking in a room with four other men, who were tourists from overseas.

After downing a cheap take out meal Hope slumped back on his bunk and opened the internet browser. He typed in "Lightning Farron" and pressed search; no hits. He cleared it and tried "Claire Farron". This came back with results, but none seemed to be Lightning. Hope sighed. Next he tried both his parents and got no results back for them either. Despondent, he tried "Serah Farron" and was thrilled when he found a social media page with a picture to match. The site prompted him to create a profile, which he did, taking a quick snap of himself on his phone to use as a profile picture and using his new email to register. He then sent Serah a friend request.

Before going to sleep for the night, Hope continued to do his research to familiarise himself with the area and his fabricated past. He had no additional clothes and had to sleep in the clothes he'd been wearing that day. The first thing on his list for tomorrow would be buying clothes and deodorant.


	3. Chapter 3

**LIGHTNING**

"Miss? Miss? Are you okay?" said the first muffled voice.

"Did you see what happened?" said another.

"No, I just found her like this."

"Have you called an ambulance? Good."

Lightning groaned. When she opened her eyes her vision was blurry and she could only make out basic outlines of people leaning over her. She tried to call out, but her voice failed her. Before she could make sounds any more than incoherent groans another two figures appeared and began handling her, checking her pulse and her eyes and loading her into the back of a van. She was so disoriented that the whole experience was a jumbled blur. When her senses finally returned she was being wheeled out of the van and into a hospital.

"What's going on?" she asked one of the paramedics by the side of her stretcher.

"We're not entirely sure, but you're in good hands. The doctors here will give you a full run down."

The second paramedic briefed the receiving nurse before Lightning was wheeled into the ER.

"I don't feel like there's anything wrong with me." Lightning said to the triage nurse. The nurse nodded but didn't look up from the clipboard she was scribbling notes on. When finished she placed the clipboard at the base of Lightning's bed.

"A doctor will be here to see you shortly," the nurse said, and left Lightning in the corridor. Lightning sighed and looked around. There were a number of other beds in view with others waiting to be seen by doctors. Beyond the hallway where she was parked she could see the entry to the main waiting room of the ER. Ripping the IV drip from her arm and bolting out the exit crossed her mind but she didn't know what happened, and that concerned her. She decided it couldn't hurt to be checked out.

"Name and date of birth?" A young doctor pulled her chart from the bed and looked at Lightning.

"Lightning Farron, 13th May 21 BF."

The doctor raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me, can you repeat the year again?"

Lightning paused. She hadn't thought before she'd spoken. She had no idea what year it was, and what the implication of her answer would be.

"I'm not sure." she answered.

"Do you know how old you are?" The doctor asked.

Lightning thought for a while before answering, "21".

"Okay, good. Apparently you were found unconscious in the city Botanical Gardens, do you remember anything in the lead up that may have caused it? Blurred vision or flashing lights? Did you slip?"

"I don't remember before I woke up, and when I woke up people were fussing and before I knew it I was in an ambulance. My vision was blurred when I came too. That's all I remember."

"Okay. The paramedics checked you over for visible signs of injury but found nothing. If you don't mind, I'm just going to undertake a physical examination and just let me know if anything hurts, okay?"

The doctor pressed and prodded over Lightning, but she felt no pain and told the doctor as much.

"Okay, that's good, but we're worried you may have suffered from a concussion, we're just going to take you to have some scans and check you haven't had a more substantial injury."

Lightning nodded and the doctor motioned to a nurse who helped push her bed down the hall and into room. She was helped out of the bed and onto a bench of an MRI scanner.

"Just lie still, this won't take more than a few minutes." The technician said over speaker from the adjoining room. The machine began to hum as the bench slowly moved backwards. After the imaging was finished she was helped back into the bed and wheeled into a nearby ward.

"Based on your scan you don't appear to have any brain injury, which is good news. You are showing signs of mild amnesia, so we'll just hold you here for a little while to make sure you're okay but then we'll discharge you."

"Thanks." Lightning found the bed remote and raised herself into a comfortable sitting position. She looked around the room for something to use to pass the time, but came up empty. As she let out a sigh the curtain dividing her from the bed next to her began to rustle. The voice behind it let out an exasperated grunt.

"Oh man, come on!" It said.

Curious, Lightning slipped out of bed and pulled back the curtain.

"Long time no see, kid." Sazh said.

Sazh was the last person she expected to see, let alone prone on a bed in a neck brace. He followed her gaze and explained, "I fell off a ladder cleaning out my gutters."

Lightning nodded silently and climbed back onto her bed, facing Sazh.

"When did you get here?" She asked.

"Not that long ago, maybe an hour. They've run a few tests and whatnot-"

"No, not here specifically." Lightning cut off, " _Here"_ she raised her eyebrows to hint at her meaning. Sazh nodded and thought for a moment before answering.

"Y'know, I'm not sure. It's funny. I remember a full life here and, you know, _there_. Had I not hit my head I don't know if I'd remember _there_ at all. Could've been days, weeks, years..." He tried to shrug and winced, "Bad idea." He muttered.

"I remember you too, both here an' there." He continued.

Lightning cocked an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"We worked in the military together. I'm an airforce pilot here. I mean, we only saw each other sparingly but we had a few missions together." Sazh grimaced and added, "One of 'em you didn't make it back from."

Lightning frowned, "That's impossible. I just got here. I woke up in a garden somewhere."

"Oh, I don't doubt it," Sazh added hurriedly, "but you, or _other you_ , I dunno I'm still trying to get my head 'round it, is dead. There was a funeral."

Lightning's heart lurched, "And you thought it was me?"

"It was you. I mean, that's what I remember. But now I'm not so sure. I can't have lived two full lives, which means some of those memories ain't real. Your funeral was 'bout a year ago, so that means I must've gotten 'ere sometime after."

"Do you think we arrived at different times? I only got here today."

"Who's to say? Maybe I only got here today too. But both memories are as real as each other. I honestly can't say. This is really doin' my head in, that's for sure. If I wake up and all this is a dream I can't say I'd be surprised at all."

"You have two sets of memories. I don't. I wonder why that is?" Lightning pushed off from the bed and began to dig around in her pockets.

"What are you doing?" Sazh asked.

"I'm looking for my - here it is." Lightning pulled a small wallet out and opened it. "ID and money - the basics…" Lightning frowned, "I have one and not the other. A couple thousand credits but there's nothing else in here."

"I guess you're not supposed to be here. You're dead an' buried." Sazh said.

"The fate of Bhunivelze's puppet, eh?" Lightning laid down onto her bed. "I know I probably shouldn't be surprised, but… I didn't expect this."

"I'm not sure any of us knew enough to know what to expect. I've got my boy Dajh safe an' sound, so I ain't complaining."

"What about Serah?" Lightning asked.

"Your sister? What about her?"

"Did you go to my," Lightning paused. It felt weird having to say it, "funeral? Did you see her?"

"I did, but we don't know each other here so I didn't really speak to her except to give my condolences. Snow was with her, but I don't know much else."

"Was anyone else I know there?"

Sazh thought for a while, "No, I don't think so."

Lightning thought it weird no one else would attend. Did that mean everyone else had a second set of memories? And if she didn't have any false memories, what about Hope? He was as much a puppet of Bhunivelze as she was, if not more so.

The silence was was broken by Sazh as he asked, "What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know." Lightning paused, "I should find Serah, let her know I'm okay."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

Exasperated she said "Why not?"

"If I remember her, that means she's probably asleep like I was before I fell. I don't think her dead sister suddenly showing up is a good idea."

"So what? I never see her again?"

"I'm not saying that. There just might be a better way. Something more gentle; less guns blazing."

"I'm open to suggestions."

"Tell you what. You come back with me and we can figure this out. You ain't going to accomplish much on your own. Chances are you're gonna be out of here before me too. My neighbour is looking after Dajh, but I'd feel better with you looking after him."

Lightning was discharged shortly after. Sazh had provided her with the name and number of his neighbour and she had the hospital reception call them before she left and waited. The neighbour was high spirited and fast moving.

"Are you Lightning?" She asked. Lightning nodded. The woman outstretched her hand in greeting, "I'm Mae. I'm sure if you know Sazh, you've met Dajh."

Lightning smiled at the six year old but he showed no sign of recognition, "I do, but it was a long time ago, and I don't think he remembers me."

"Oh well, you'll be acquainted soon I'm sure." Mae said.

"I want to see dad." Dajh said, looking up at Mae.

"Oh, my dear. I'm not sure you can just now. I'm sure Lightning here will bring you back to visit but your aunt Mae needs to get to work, I'm sorry."

Mae turned back to Lightning, "Such an awful thing." She said, obviously hinting at Sazh's accident. "I was so shocked. Sazh is usually so careful and there I am just about to head off to work and Dajh is running over to my house yelling up a storm." She took Dajh's hand and lead them both to her car.

"Do you think it's serious?" Lightning asked.

Mae waved off Lightning's concern. "Oh, I'm sure he'll be fine."

It wasn't a long drive to Sazh's home. He lived a short drive out from the city in a row of adjoining houses on a leafy street. Mae pulled up out front and passed Lightning a set of house keys. Dajh shot out of the car and ran up to the front door eagerly. Lightning politely waved Mae off and followed, stopping short to examine the leaf filled gutter at the front of the property and the now discarded step ladder.

The front door opened in to a long windowless hallway lit by skylights. Three bedrooms and a bathroom broke off from it before leading out into a large and open plan kitchen, dining and lounge room.

"I'm hungry!" Dajh exclaimed, running for the kitchen. Lightning casually followed, eyeing the family photos on the walls. Sazh wasn't lying, he did have a whole life here. She saw a wedding photo, photos of Dajh as a baby and growing up, visits to tourist attractions and school photos. When she found her way to the kitchen Dajh was already busy making himself a sandwich, and she smiled at the kid's independence. Having some self sufficiency would help; not that Lightning was unaccustomed to looking after kids.

"Is there more for me?" She asked.

Dajh motioned towards the fridge and pantry, "Sure, help yourself."

Following Dajh's lead Lightning began to fix herself a sandwich. It was past noon and she hadn't eaten all day; she was starving.

As they both sat down to eat Dajh asked, "How long do you think you'll be looking after me?"

"I'm not sure," Lightning responded, "Your dad was still being fully assessed when I saw him. I'm sure he'll call to let us know or we'll find out when we go to visit."

There was a pause as they ate.

"Is your name really Lightning?" Dajh asked.

Lightning laughed, "Yeah, kid."


	4. Chapter 4

**SNOW**

"It's been two weeks she's been acting weird, I'm worried about her." Snow swirled his glass watching the whiskey skim over the ice cubes and sighed. He was sitting on a bar stool in the empty pub while Yuj set up and cleaned tables and chairs and Lebreau dried and polished glasses from the dishwasher behind the bar with a cloth.

"What do you think it is, boss?" asked Yuj from behind him.

"Hey, I told you to stop calling me that." Snow spat back at him, before he continued, "I thought maybe it was, you know, just that time of the month-"

"Oh, you did _not_ just say that!" Shot Lebreau, whipping Snow's arm with the cloth before she went back to drying.

"Hey, hey, hey! I dunno. Like I said, it's been two weeks, so I've ruled that out anyway." Snow said as Lebreau cocked a brow, clearly unimpressed.

Lebreau pursed her lips, "She's clearly still mourning her sister. Just talk and listen to her Snow."

"I thought I had been, but she's getting worse, not better. The last few days I've found her going over old photos of her; over and over. It's like an obsession…" Snow trailed off and took a sip from his glass, "and she keeps muttering to herself 'there's something wrong, there's something wrong'."

Lebreau frowned, "Have you thought about her, maybe, seeing a professional? Just to talk through it?"

"It has crossed my mind. I'd need to convince her, and I'm not sure I would be able to. She keeps asking me if I think she's crazy or not to think she's crazy, so suddenly suggesting she speaks to a therapist might seem like betrayal." Snow downed the last of his glass in one last mouthful, appreciating the smoky warmth as it slid down his throat. He pushed the glass over to Lebreau and got up from the bar stool.

"I'm going to head off and check on her. Call me if you need anything. Thanks for listening." Snow waved and walked to the door and out of the bar.

It's was windy outside and the air carried with it signs that winter was approaching. The leaves on trees were already turning brown and cluttering the gutters along the road. Snow pushed his hands into his jacket pockets and walked the short way to his car. It was a short drive back home, but the Saturday traffic was already filling the streets as people moved to make their way to early dinner reservations and head home from days out shopping. The sun was already beginning to dip toward sunset when Snow pulled up at their apartment.

"Snow!" Serah called from another room when he entered. She sounded surprised, "Are you not working tonight?"

Snow took off his jacket and placed it on the coat rack by the front door as Serah emerged to meet him.

"Nah," he said, "They've got it under control and besides, I'd rather spend the evening with you." He threw her a grin and she came over and hugged him, nestling her face into his shoulder.

"Well, I'm not going to complain." She said.

Snow embraced her and didn't let go until she pulled back. If his attempts to listen and talk with Serah weren't helping, he could at least provide comfort through this. Judging by the length of time they embraced, Serah needed the comfort.

When she did finally pull away she smiled up at Snow and said, "You're just in time. I was just figuring out what to make myself for dinner, but now I can make sure to cook enough for both of us." She spun on her heel and playfully entered the kitchen in the next room and Snow followed. She seemed happy and he hoped that meant she was finally feeling better.

"What's on the menu?" He asked, leaning on his elbows on the kitchen bench. Serah opened the fridge and thought, placing her finger on her lips in the way Snow so loved.

"Hmm… nothing too exciting. I'm just going to be throwing together something based on what we already have." She pulled out a jar of half used pesto and some leftover roast chicken before heading over to the pantry and digging out some gnocchi.

"Chicken pesto gnocchi, how does that sound?"

"It sounds amazing if you're cooking it." Snow replied. Serah smiled back sweetly and began cooking. As she was distracted Snow looked over to her laptop sitting open on the kitchen bench.

"Finishing up some work?" He asked as he spun the computer around. Serah looked over startled, lunged forward and spun the computer back, pulling it away from him, and closed the lid.

"Yeah, marking assignments and entering scores into the system. You know how it is. Nothing exciting." She said, laughing awkwardly.

Snow noticed the alarm and guilt in Serah's actions and voice. She went back to cooking and seemed to avoid looking at him. He knitted his brows; she was lying to him. He saw the screen, if only for a moment, before she took the computer back and it wasn't work. It was the social media profile of someone, and he was sure it was a man. He didn't think Serah would be sneaking around behind his back with an internet lover. She wasn't the type. Serah was compassion itself and would never think of hurting another by doing something so selfish. But if that wasn't it, he couldn't determine why she wanted to hide it. Was she worried that he would _think_ she was cheating? Or, like everything in the last couple weeks, did it have something to do with Lightning?

He noticed she had become more withdrawn and ashamed of her obsession and it was his fault. He didn't understand and made some off hand comments to her when he found her pouring over the old photos for what must have been the third day in a row. Thinking back, he chastised himself over his behaviour. He needed to try to be more supportive so she could work through her grief. However, he still found it odd. Comparing her grief around the time Lightning died and following the funeral to now it was world's apart. Back then she seemed to handle it better. Sure, there were a lot of tears, even Snow cried a little, but nothing like this strange obsession.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Serah interrupted his train of thought. He had been staring blankly at the bench and looked up at her. She ducked down to collect two bowls from the cupboard and a couple forks from the drawer.

As she took them over to the stove to begin serving up Snow said, "You know you can talk to me, right Serah?"

Serah smiled slightly, but didn't look away from her task, "What do you mean?" She asked.

"About Lightning," Snow continued, "or anything, really."

Serah stuck a fork in each bowl and sprinkled some parmasen cheese. She walked past Snow and placed them on the small dining table and sat down. Snow followed and sat down opposite her.

"Did you see what was on the screen?" She asked.

Snow picked up his fork and skewed a piece of chicken. "I did." He confirmed.

Serah sighed. "It's not what it looks like if you think I'm…"

"I don't, don't worry. But you can talk about it with me. If you want to."

Serah chewed a mouthful thoughtfully. She got up from the table and retrieved her laptop, placing it next to her bowl. She opened the lid and woke it from sleep before turning it to face Snow.

"I got a message a couple weeks ago," she began, "from this guy. Hope Estheim. Read his message."

Snow pulled the laptop closer and read aloud, "'Hi Serah, I hope you are well. I'm trying to get ahold of Lightning, do you know where she is?'" Snow passed the laptop back, "Is he an old friend of hers or something? Or maybe an old flame?" Snow winked and Serah rolled her eyes.

"That's the thing," Serah said. She took the laptop and stared at the screen, musing over it as she ate more dinner. "I don't know who he is. I mean, he kinda looks familiar but I don't remember ever seeing him around. Either way, it's horrible isn't it? He doesn't know. What am I supposed to say?" She looked up at Snow with pleading eyes.

Snow was relieved it was something so benign, but it had to do with Lightning, so he wasn't surprised by her anxiety.

"How about this?" Snow said and skewered some potato, "After we finish we sit down and we can do it together." Serah smiled and nodded. Snow was glad that he could do something so simple that would support her, and he had to admit he was curious himself.

They finished their meals with light chit chat. When they finished Serah took the bowls and placed them in the dishwasher before sitting back down in front of her computer. Snow pushed a chair next to her and sat down. She opened the lid and clicked to accept Hope's friend request. She then opened the chat window and stared at the screen before pushing the laptop over to Snow.

"You do it." She said.

Snow shrugged, "Alright. You tell me what to say though."

"He's probably not even online." She mused, resting on Snow's arm.

Snow started typing, _Hi. You know Lightning?_ And pressed send. _Were you her boy-toy?_ He typed out.

"Oh stop!" Serah laughed and swiped at Snow's hand and pulled the computer back, deleting the second unsent message.

 _You don't remember me?_

"He's online! He just sent a message." Serah exclaimed and tapped away.

 _I don't, sorry. Does that mean we've met? How long ago?_ She typed in reply.

 _Oh, it was a long time ago. Don't worry about it._

 _How do you know Lightning?_

Serah watched the screen.

 _We were partners._

"Oh juicy ex-lover!" Snow yelled. "Called it."

Another message quickly followed.

 _I mean, we worked together. Work partners._

Serah raised a brow and looked at Snow.

"Wanna-be lover?" Snow quipped.

Serah bit her lip and began typing.

 _I haven't had the chance to speak to many of Lightning's friends. Any good stories?_

 _Plenty, but I'm not sure she'd appreciate knowing I've been gossiping about her._

 _About that_ , Serah typed and rested her chin in her hand.

"It's best to get it over with" Snow said, "Don't string the poor guy along."

Serah began typing again.

 _About that. You_ _may not be aware but Lightning passed away last year._

As she hit send Snow put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. It was a while before they got a message back.

"Do you think he's okay? He's taking a while to respond." Serah asked.

"I don't know how well he knew your sister." Snow answered.

Snow heard the computer chime and looked at the screen.

 _I didn't know._

After a pause another message came through.

 _If you don't mind. What happened?_

Serah frowned and typed.

 _It seems weird to discuss it online. I noticed you live in the city. How about we meet and I can tell you and answer your questions?_

 _I'd appreciate that. Are you free next weekend? I can make anytime and place that suits you._

 _How about tomorrow? We can meet for brunch, say 10 am? There's a nice cafe that Lightning and I used to go to. It's called Black Track._

 _See you then._

She closed the computer and let out a sigh. She looked up at Snow and said, "I feel better now that that's sorted. It will be nice to chat more freely, I've never really liked chatting online. Do you want to come?"

"Only if you want me to." Snow didn't want to impose if Serah felt more comfortable handling the meeting alone.

Serah thought for a moment and then said, "No, I should be okay. If I change my mind I'll let you know."


	5. Chapter 5

**HOPE**

Hope found himself glued to his computer screen scrolling through the same page for what had to be the third time already that morning; he'd read it so many times he had it memorised. He scrolled down to the singular photo and examined the

piercing blue eyes and rose coloured hair neatly tucked into a bun. She was dressed in a military uniform and sat upright and stiff with the country's flag behind her. There was a smile, but her eyes were serious. It was her, but at the same time he knew it wasn't. It couldn't be.

"Who's this then?" Alyssa had come up behind Hope without his knowing and was leaning over his shoulder looking directly at the screen and Lightning's photo. Hope panicked and minimised the window as a flash of heat rushed through his body.

"Just an old friend," he said quickly, not turning to look at her while he gathered himself.

"Oh, _just_ a friend, is it? Or maybe unrequited love?" She jested.

Hope decided to ignore her probing and turned in his chair to face her, "What brings you down here?"

Alyssa looked disappointed for a moment but replied, "Just thought I'd drop by and see how you're going. Have a chat and all that."

"I'm great, busy, but great. Emile's work is starting to show promise and I think I'm finally hitting my stride in the lecture theatre. Speaking of," Hope made a point of checking his watch, "I have another class I need to get to."

"Really? Bad timing. Hey, how about we grab lunch? Are you free at one?"

Hope stood up from his desk and gathered his phone, laptop and wallet. "Yeah, sure. See you then." He headed out of the office and rushed off to his class, not leaving time for Alyssa to catch up. He still wasn't sure what to make of Alyssa. She had been a good assistant at the Academy, acting as his right hand, but she had also betrayed him. He was willing to be friendly, but he couldn't bring himself to trust her, not even here.

His lecture finished at 12, and instead of going back to his office, he opted to hide out in the engineering library at a desk in a far corner out of sight. It was only early into the new semester, so the library was still relatively quiet. He opened his laptop and clicked open the window with Lightning's face staring back at him. He sighed and closed it. He was still trying to make sense of it all.

It had been a few months since he met with Serah in the cafe. He had hoped meeting in person would be enough for her to recall her memories, but his presence elicited nothing; he was greeted and spoken to like a stranger. If there was some level of recognition, she didn't betray it and he found it infuriating having to pretend and play along.

"Hope, is it?"

Hope had arrived before Serah and situated himself at a small table near the entrance of the cafe. The rain had driven him inside and he thought the table gave the best odds of Serah spotting him. It wasn't a particularly remarkable cafe and looked like most trendy industrial style cafes he was used to visiting in the city: timber floor, exposed brick and no sound insulation.

Hope looked up and nodded in affirmation as Serah greeted him. He stood and shook her hand, a reflex that he realised, too late, was odd for their meeting. Serah gave an awkward smile when their hands released and carefully placed her bag on the table and her wet umbrella on the floor nearby.

"It's bucketing outside! I decided to walk, since I don't live far away. I wish I checked the radar before leaving but thankfully I brought my umbrella." She let out a cheerful laugh and sat down.

Hope nodded and she picked up the menu in front of her.

"This is our favourite cafe, you know. Lightning and I would meet here all the time but I haven't actually been here since…" she trailed off and went back to looking at the menu.

"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly happened?" Hope asked.

"Ahh, it's still the same." Serah continued, "Eggs Benedict! That was her favourite. I always get the blueberry pancakes though. Maybe I should try the eggs, break out of my comfort zone, you know? What are you thinking of getting?"

When she looked up at Hope he noticed her face was flushed and her eyes wet. She was still grieving, he realised. He would need to take this slowly.

He looked down at the menu, "Why don't we both try her favourite?" He said.

"Good idea!" She beamed.

He eventually got her onto the topic of Lightning's death and what had happened. She was in the military and stationed overseas where she fell in action. Apparently there was an ambush and she sacrificed herself to protect her squad (who all made it out) and had been posthumously awarded the purple heart, the highest recognition for bravery. That sounded like Lightning. Everything sounded like Lightning, including earlier memories Serah shared of her. He had to bite his tongue the entire conversation, quelling the urge to tell her she was wrong. Lightning wasn't dead, he was sure of it.

"Have you seen much of Noel and Mog recently?" He asked casually.

"Who?" Serah looked genuinely confused.

"Nevermind. Old friends that I thought maybe you knew." Hope had peppered the conversation with off hand questions or references from the old world, hoping they might spark recognition, but nothing had worked so far.

After a while Serah asked, "How did you and Lightning know each other again?"

"We worked together."

"Really? Were you close?"

Hope considered his answer, and replied, "We were."

"It's odd I never heard her mention you before."

"It's been a while."

Neither of them spoke for a while before Serah asked, "I don't mean to pry, but did you two go out?"

Hope almost choked on his coffee and felt a blush creep across his face. He quickly placed his cup on the table and wiped his mouth with the serviette.

"No."

Hope flushed anew remembering that part of the conversation. Was he that transparent, or was that the first conclusion everyone just naturally came to? Overall, the meeting had led nowhere. The only new information he managed to glean was Lightning's favourite breakfast menu item. Serah was the most promising starting point and it led nowhere.

Checking the time Hope gathered his things to meet Alyssa. They still clicked so well that even despite Hope's reservations he enjoyed spending time talking to her, particularly about his work. She was quick to understand the outcomes and implications of his findings and provided useful input. He mourned that they could never be close friends like they had been, but work friends would suffice. Plunged into the confusion of the new world with no existing connections Hope spent most of his time working, both on his teaching, mentoring and own research, as well as fostering rapport with colleagues. He figured people were less likely to go digging into his documentation if they liked him. But he was lonely. It was nice to have some familiarity and yet he found himself both avoiding Alyssa and making time to see her. He had no time to make connections outside of work, and any additional spare time was spent trying to find his parents and Lightning.

Alyssa waved from a seat in a nearby cafe just off campus. According to her this cafe made the best coffee and Hope wasn't fussy enough to argue. As a result it had become a regular meeting place for them. She was holding her phone and only looked up when Hope sat down opposite. Her lips were caught in a sly grin and as her eyes peeled off the screen she flicked her wrist to show Hope.

"Look at you!" She beamed, "why didn't you tell me you were being interviewed? I only just found out. You know I don't watch breakfast news. Is that why you were in later than usual on Thursday?"

Hope looked at the phone and smiled, "I hadn't actually looked to see if it was posted online." He said.

"You should see the comments." Alyssa said raising a brow.

Hope laughed nervously and said, "The comments on that site are always ridiculous, you can't take any of them seriously."

Alyssa shrugged, "Anyhow, the fame is well deserved. You're remarkable, you know. You've been here less than six months and already making major waves. I like to think I get some credit though as an informal contributor."

"You're in the acknowledgements, I promise."

"Can I come and see the prototype?"

"It's hardly so sophisticated I'd call it a prototype, but sure. We can go after we eat. I don't promise anything exciting, it will just be a little square under a sunlamp."

Alyssa waved him off, "If it gets the efficiency you mention in the interview I want to see it myself."

They spent the rest of lunch discussing other things, including Hope's new apartment and neighbours, work loads and students before heading back onto campus and to the engineering area. Hope showed Alyssa into the lab and into a small dividing room that housed the sunlamp. He took a small square of what looked like a sandwich if plastic film with a dark dye in the centre, connected electrodes to it and closed it inside the lamp's chamber.

"You're right about it looking unimpressive." Alyssa said.

"The next step is scaling it up more testing." Hope replied, opening a program on an adjacent computer. He pressed start and Alyssa began watching the curve form on the screen as Hope explained. Hope was cut off mid sentence by a knock on the door to the lab.

Before he could move to answer it Alyssa interjected, "I'll go see who it is." and left the room.

"Just one of your students," she said when she came back. "They said they'd come back later"

Hope nodded and went to continue the demonstration but Alyssa cut him off, "Sorry Hope, I just realised I have a meeting to get to. I still want to see the full demo though. See ya!"

Alyssa quickly left the room. Hope cancelled the test, put away his solar cell and headed back into his office; he still had a research grant to write and assignments to mark.

"Did she find you?" Emile's voice broke Hope's concentration. He had a neat pile of marked assignments pushed to one side of his desk and was so absorbed in marking he hadn't heard the door open.

"Sorry, I should've knocked first, hey?" Emile said sheepishly.

"Who?" Hope asked, placing his pen down and looking up at Emile.

"There was a woman who came by earlier looking for you. I directed her here as I thought you'd be in your office or the lab but I had to run to make a tute so I'm not sure if she made it or got lost."

"When was this?"

"Uhh.. probably about one-thirty, quarter-to-two-ish."

Hope thought for a moment, it must have been the interruption at the door when he was showing Alyssa.

"Was it one of my students?" He asked.

"I don't think so, she said she was an old friend of yours. Her name was…uhh... now what was it? It started with L…"

Hope's chest tightened, "Lightning?" He blurted.

"Lightning! That's right. Odd name. I guess you missed her then, huh?"

Hope could feel the blood draining from his face. His heart began to race and his skin pricked with sweat. That was well over an hour ago, he thought. The chances of her still being around was low. What had Alyssa said? The student, it must have been her. She said they said they'd come back later. If that was true, he just had to stay put. But why would Lightning say she was a student to Alyssa but an old friend to Emile? His eyes narrowed. She wouldn't. Was Alyssa really unchanged? Still conniving behind his back? If so, to what end? Surely she didn't remember Lightning, so why lie to him about her? He decided he'd think about that more later. The main thing was she knew where he was and she would come back. This calmed him down enough to take a deep breath and answer Emile, who was looking noticeably anxious at Hope's reaction.

"Thanks Emile. If you see her again, please let me know immediately."

"Sure. Anyway, I'm going to go into the lab if you need me."

With that Emile slunk off, obviously escaping the awkward situation he had created. Hope couldn't blame him; his reaction must have seemed unreasonably extreme. He groaned and put his head in his hands. He was constantly embarrassing himself about Lightning.


	6. Chapter 6

**LIGHTNING**

"Have you decided what you're going to do?" Sazh said, passing Lightning a mug of tea and sitting down opposite at the kitchen table. He had just finished putting Dajh to bed and the house was noticeably quieter. Distracted, Lightning looked up from the laptop and reached out for the mug.

"Thanks," she said. She took a sip and set it back down on the table and leaned back in her chair.

"I've read everything I can find. None of them really go into much detail but they mention MIA: presumed dead."

"Good news." Sazh replied. He scratched at the skin just accessible below his neck brace. He was in hospital for a week before release and had to wear it for two months. Not even halfway through and he was thoroughly sick of it, _itches_ , he would always say.

It had been a month since she woke up in the park, and in the time she had been there she had fallen into a domestic routine of looking after Dajh and helping Sazh around the house. She was restless; sitting around all day wasn't her style, so she tidied, cleaned and (tried to) cooked. On the second day Dajh had introduced her to his chickens.

"They look like small fat chocobos," she said and Dajh gave her a weird look. "What are their names?" she asked.

He pointed at the large black one, "Soot, she's an Australorp," he said and then pointed at the white one, "Marshmallow, a Leghorn", then he pointed at a reddish-brown one, "and this one is Chocolina, because she's brown like chocolate and lays easter eggs. She's an Araucana and her eggs are always blue or green. She's my favourite." The last name made Lightning smile, thinking back to the small yellow chocobo chick that was either nestled in his or Sazh's hair. Some things haven't changed, she thought.

Since Sazh was discharged they had discussed what she was going to do and it boiled down to two options: a new identity, or come back from the dead. Lightning had the opportunity for a fresh start if she assumed a new identity but ultimately it would complicate things with Serah. She would have to abandon her, and after everything she had gone through as l'Cie and again as the Saviour would be for nothing. She wasn't willing to let go of a relationship with her sister, not now that the fighting was finally done. She was therefore resolved to be reintroduced into the false life forged for her in this new world.

"What do you remember about it? You were there." Lightning asked Sazh.

"Yes and no. I was the pilot, I wasn't on the ground. I only know what I was told when I picked up the rest of your squad. You ordered them to retreat while you took the heat. One says he saw you get hit and fall. But seeing as they weren't able to recover a body, who's to say, eh? I reckon you're in the clear."

Lightning hummed to herself as she considered this. "So what do I tell everyone? Surprise! I didn't die but I don't remember anything?"

"Why not? You can use your hospital admission as evidence." Sazh said.

"How do I explain not remembering getting back from overseas and why it's been a year? It's the first thing everyone will ask."

"Don't worry about it. Beauty is, you're here, flesh n' blood. So long as people recognise you, your cover story just needs to be plausible. They'll fill in all the specifics themselves." Sazh grinned.

Lightning thought about it and had to admit he was probably right. She could make some story up about being taken captive and only just escaping and feign amnesia for everything that happened before. If people who supposedly knew her were happy enough to see her they probably wouldn't ask too many questions. The only niggling thought that worried her was that Serah wouldn't remember her; the real her. Would she be trapped in a lie to her sister for the rest of her life? It wasn't ideal, but if the alternative was no relationship with her sister, she would gladly lie. After all, she reasoned, eventually she would ease into her life here and it wouldn't be a lie anymore.

"I've got other good news for you, sunshine." Sazh waved a scrap of paper on front of her face and grinned. She glowered at the tease and snatched it from him.

"Current address and phone number. Time to plan your reunion."

Lightning smoothed the piece of paper out on the table in front of her. Sazh had spent the last few weeks trying to get this information.

"Who'd you manage to finally sweet talk to get these details?" She asked.

"A gentleman never reveals his secrets," he tsked, and Lightning scoffed. She wove her fingers around her hot mug, brought it to her lips and inhaled the steam before taking a sip. She sat rugged up in a heavy knit against the winter night's chill. Sazh reassured her that it never snowed in this city and wouldn't get much colder, for which she was thankful.

"Beautiful home, great architecture, great location," Sazh had said, "but awful insulation." Once he was back from the hospital he nervously led her to the walk-in-wardrobe in his bedroom and motioned to the side.

"I never got rid of them," he said, looking at Lightning before he explained, "my wife's old clothes. They should fit you, although I can't guarantee any are in fashion." His fingers had lingered on a jacket sleeve before he left the room.

"How about this weekend? Just rip the band-aid off! And I'll come as moral support." Sazh said from the opposite side of the table.

"I don't need a babysitter to meet with my own sister," Lightning said, taking another sip of tea.

"Like I said, moral support. You don't have the benefit of false memories to help you out if things don't go as planned. Don't worry, if everything is going swimmingly, I'll skedaddle."

Lightning acquiesced and they spent the rest of the evening going over Lightning's backstory.

On Saturday morning, Lightning passed a bag full of basic toiletries and clothes, mostly hand-me-downs from Sazh's late wife, onto the floor of the front passenger seat before getting in. She acted as navigator for Sazh, directing him from a smartphone as they they wove through the suburbs.

"It should be the next one on the left," Lightning motioned to Sazh. He nodded and pulled over to park on the side of the street.

He turned off the engine and undid his seat belt. "Ready?" He asked, one hand on the door.

Lightning nodded and got out of the car, pulling her bag with her. Sazh followed suit and met her on the footpath. They walked in silence up to the front door. Serah lived in a two-storey townhouse crammed together with another three on a block in the street. A few older detached homes still existed nearby but the high density housing was starting to take over. Each townhouse shared a common driveway at the front, with a small single car garage, and a small courtyard sized backyard on the opposite side. Serah lived in the second unit and was further set-back from the busy street.

Lightning took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell. She had run a number of meeting scenarios through her mind, but none had prepared her for Serah's reaction when she answered the door. When the door swung open Serah's face went from friendly smile to blank horror in an instant. Then the scream as she slammed the door in Lightning's face. It happened so quickly Lightning didn't have the chance to react and was left nonplussed for the few moments before the door whipped back open.

"Lightning?" Serah choked through tears and tentatively reached a hand out to touch Lightning's arm.

"Hey Serah," Lightning replied.

At the utterance of Lightning's words and the feel of flesh at her fingertips, Serah launched forward into Lightning; arms wrapped tightly around her as she wept into her shoulder.

"What the hell is all the commotion about?" Lightning immediately recognised Snow's voice and soon his figure came into view in the doorway.

"No way," he said, looking her in the eye.

Serah released Lightning from the embrace and wiped her face as she turned to Snow with a huge smile.

Snow's expression softened into a warm smile, "Let's get everyone inside," he said and motioned inside.

Serah directed them into a small dining area adjacent to the open kitchen. She busied herself filling an electric kettle and putting it on to boil before retrieving a large teapot and some mugs from the cupboards.

"Does everyone want tea?" She asked cheerfully, and everyone responded in the affirmative.

"So where have you been?" Snow asked, straight to the point. His eager curiosity was clear on his face as he leant forward towards Lightning on propped elbows.

"I was taken hostage," Lightning replied, too late noticing how nervous she sounded saying it.

Sazh cut in before Snow could ask a follow up question, "I found her not more than a few weeks ago all muddled. Turns out she has amnesia - likely from some serious head wound from when she was taken."

In response to Snow's questioning glance he added, "I'm Sazh, by the way. I was at the funeral, though you might not remember. I was pilot in the mission." Snow nodded, but showed no sign of recognition. He quickly turned his focus back to Lightning and his gaze made her uneasy. Did he know she was lying? The kettle began to rumble in the background.

"A few weeks? You've been back that long?" Serah said to Lightning. She looked at her sister in the kitchen and saw the hurt in her eyes. Her mouth narrowed, but she said nothing. What could she say? In the same situation, with the information she had she'd feel the same.

"You remember me though, yeah?" Snow joked, jutting his thumb to his chest with a grin.

Lightning whipped her head back to face Snow, "Unfortunately," she replied with a smile. She noticed his gaze was still sharp, despite the jest. She had to remind herself how much Snow had changed when she came back as the Saviour. Those years had hardened him and it showed in him now, even without his memories.

"Aw, now come on, sis, don't be like that," Snow laughed, but Lightning noticed again that Serah was more pensive.

"Why so long?" Serah asked.

"I didn't know where you were," Lightning replied plainly, "Sazh had to get your details out of my records on base, which took a while."

"A lot of convincing and buttering up!" Sazh chimed in.

"Why not just go yourself?" Snow asked.

"Lightning hasn't been back to base yet." Sazh explained hurriedly, "We've been keeping this on the down-low trying to work out how to handle everything, what with her memory gone. I thought it best, and advised she not step back on base until she was ready."

Lightning nodded at Sazh's explanation. He was right to come along; she wasn't sure she would be able to deflect the questions so well herself.

"I guess that makes sense." Snow resigned. "Do you remember what happened?"

"Snow!" Serah interjected, "Lightning, you don't have to say anything unless you're ready."

"My memory is… jumbled. I need time to process it all myself. Imagine waking to a world you don't remember, with a history you don't remember. Sazh has been helping me fill some gaps, but that's all he's been able to do. I just don't remember." Lightning added, happy to close the discussion with something that wasn't a lie.

Serah began placing hot cups of tea in front of everyone at the table, "I think we should change the subject. You'll be happy to know you haven't missed the wedding!"

The next half hour was spent discussing the wedding. Lightning noticed Serah become more relaxed and open up, when she had seemed guarded earlier. Hurt, betrayed, Lightning corrected. When he found an opening Sazh motioned to Lightning, asking silently whether she was comfortable for him to leave and she nodded. Lightning was certain Serah would be her advocate and shield against Snow's questions.

Sazh stood from the table and carried his tea cup into the kitchen.

"Thanks for the brew. I'm glad to see you all reunited, but I need to get back. It was good seeing you both again." Sazh said and shook Snow's hand and gave Serah a light hug. He made his way to the door and Lightning followed and looked back to make sure Serah and Snow hadn't followed.

"Thanks Sazh, if you hadn't found me I don't know what I would have done."

"Don't sweat it. I've given you the base details, but if you need help you let me know. If you need to talk, about this world, the past, about anything, you hit me up; don't be a stranger."

Lightning nodded and after a brief parting hug he was out the door.


End file.
